By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – When LaPlace teen Chayil Johnson took part in the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts’ summer culinary program, he probably never dreamed that a few months later a dish of his own creation would be gracing the

menus of the restaurants

of chef Emeril Lagasse.

But that is exactly what

has happened after Johnson was selected as one of

the winners of “A Dish

That Makes a Difference” contest.

“I was surprised and extremely happy,” said Johnson.

The budding chef prepared apricot-glazed roasted duck with butternut squash risotto for the panel of judges that included Lagasse and renowned New Orleans restaurateur Leah Chase, who said Johnson’s duck was “cooked to perfection.”

He said his dish was inspired by a visit to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, where he learned about cooking seasonal food. Squash is generally associated with the fall, and Johnson said, “It was just about duck season, so I did duck.”

Although he had never cooked the dish before, Johnson said he was extremely pleased with how it turned out.

Johnson, who was one of the youngest participants in the summer program, said about half of his classmates entered the contest. Three finalists were chosen from among them.

Ultimately, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation decided that the dishes of all three finalists would be featured on the menus of his restaurants.

The other finalists were Victoria Farmer of St. Tammany Parish, who cooked an appetizer of Creole rabbit with roasted butternut squash and spicy corncakes, and Janeé Taylor of New Orleans, who prepared Louisiana Surf and Turf — grilled ribeye with seafood mashed potatoes and Cajun crab boiled asparagus.

Some of the proceeds from each dish served at Emeril’s restaurants will go toward building a new teaching kitchen at NOCCA. NOCCA hopes to admit the first students in a four-year culinary arts program in spring 2011.

Johnson said his time with the NOCCA summer program helped him tremendously during the competition.

“A lot of the ways of preparation I didn’t even know at the time,” he said.

During the contest, Johnson said he tried not to think of it as a competition, instead just drawing from the joy he gets from being in the kitchen.

That is not to say he lost sight of what was at stake completely.

“I felt honored, but at the time I was nervous,” he said.

He added that being one of the winners has given him a big confidence boost in his ultimate quest to become a chef, but he is not ready to start sweating in local kitchens just yet.

“I’m hoping to go to NOCCA again this summer,” he said. “While I’m waiting I’m going to continue to practice.”

Culinary school also figures into his future, but before that Johnson said he would like to study agriculture, a desire spurred by a visit to chef John Besh’s La Provence, where all the food served is local and much is grown on site.

“It really inspired me because I always wanted

to have a restaurant and grow my own food,” Johnson said.